Adriano Espaillat

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank Mr. Chabot for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Eliot Engel, the chair of this committee, for his many years of distinguished service in Congress ably representing his district, the State of New York, and our country here in the Halls of Congress while presiding and leading the Foreign Affairs Committee. Today is a testament of all the great work that he has done across the aisle with many Members who have, of course, contributed tremendously to the dialogue. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today in remembrance and honor of Cecil Corbin-Mark, whose passing on the evening of October 15 sent shock waves of grief throughout New York's political and activist communities. A Harlem native, a trailblazer in the fight for environmental justice, and an inspiration to more individuals than he would ever know, Cecil was a giant in his community and across the Nation, and his loss is immeasurable. Cecil led a life dedicated to building sustainable communities and healthy communities. He worked tirelessly to ensure that people of color and low-income residents always had a seat at the table. Cecil's impact on the sustainable future of Harlem, our surrounding communities, and our Nation cannot be overstated. Our prayers remain with Cecil's family and the WE ACT community. May he rest in power.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague Jesus Chuy Garcia from the State of Illinois. As he clearly said, this pandemic is not just about health issues and the catastrophe that has set on America with the number of folks that are COVID-19 positive or dead, but also has an economic dimension; small businesses must also get another round of grants and PPP forgivable loans to ensure that they continue to function, to ensure that they continue to provide jobs and opportunities for our communities. Madam Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity to allow the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to talk about the importance of combating the disparities laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic and how we can make up for the harm that has been wrought. I want to thank all of my CHC colleagues, including Congressman Garcia and those that were not here today, that I know are on the streets every day attending to their districts and their communities to ensure that we get through this together, for all the hard work that they have been doing on a day-to-day basis since March to help their constituents and keep all our communities safe. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Norton for her contributions to this bill. I also want to extend my appreciation to Ranking Member Graves, Chairwoman Titus, Subcommittee Ranking Member Katko, and committee staff for advancing this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, Aaron Davis with the committee has been particularly helpful to my team, my staff, for the past year and a half to get this bill over the line. I know it would have been very difficult without his help and expertise. Since Hurricanes Maria and Irma devastated the island of Puerto Rico in the fall of 2017, I have visited the island several times, including with some of my congressional colleagues. I have spoken about this with the Congresswoman from Puerto Rico, Miss Gonzalez-Colon, who has command of this issue. I have seen firsthand how public policy failures, our failures, have manifested on the island. The Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act, which I was proud to introduce with Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon, addresses some of these policy failures within the housing assistance programs our government deploys after natural disasters. Some of these programs' shortcomings have left thousands of Americans in Puerto Rico without the means to rebuild their homes. Our bill aims to fix this. Currently, folks applying for assistance must furnish the deed of their home and/or notarized statements confirming the ownership of their home. Mr. Speaker, I vividly remember when Hurricane Sandy struck my home State of New York. The last thing people were thinking about as they sought cover was where to find pieces of paper. And I can attest to the hurt of communities in Puerto Rico, Florida, and elsewhere, in the wake of Hurricanes Maria and Irma were devastating. How can we expect families to find their deeds through rubble, destruction, and pain left by these storms? I am equally stretched by the idea that in the most vulnerable time and in the wake of destruction, the American Government is asking its citizens to find a notary before they can receive help. What is more, in places like Puerto Rico, thousands of individuals have no formal documentation, properties and ownership is passed on generation to generation, very often five and six generations. Given all these challenges, we crafted this bipartisan legislation to remove these barriers and establish new and more realistic standards for natural disaster survivors applying for Federal housing assistance. Along with Chairman DeFazio, Ranking Member Graves, my colleagues on the Committee, and Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon, I thank Senator Elizabeth Warren, her staff, and the numerous advocates for their tireless efforts in crafting and advancing this legislation over the past 2 years, which is vital if we wish to make the people of Puerto Rico whole again and avoid similar calamities in the future.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Nadler, I thank Ms. Jayapal for advancing this important resolution. Last week I visited the Irwin Detention Center in Georgia along with a dozen of my colleagues. I have visited some of these ICE detention centers before, and I have seen the horrible conditions that immigrants and refugees face across the country. We all remember the unspeakable stories about how children were separated from their mothers and fathers and how they cried for them in the middle of the night and how they were separated thousands of miles apart. Mr. Speaker, I came to the United States from the Dominican Republic as a young boy knowing this Nation was a beacon of hope and opportunity. Never in my wildest dream did I ever think that I would be a Member of Congress. But I also never had the nightmare that I would be summoned, that I would be asked to investigate this horror story that has manifested itself at Irwin. While there, I spoke to a handful of women whose stories made me so angry about this country, the country that I had grown to love, angry about how our laws have been twisted by a sick administration that treats innocent women so cruelly, women who want nothing more than the same freedom and opportunities that I once sought myself, women who put their lives on the line to get here. I spoke to a woman from the DR who crossed el Canal de la Mona with 30 men and 3 other women, 7 days in the Caribbean Sea only to have, later on, her health and well-being put in great risk by the U.S. Government itself. One of them told me that she was treated like an animal, that the appropriate instruments that needed to be used for her tests were not used, that there were invasive and aggressive tests. She told me that the doctor stuck his hand on her private parts, Mr. Speaker. I am told one woman has been bleeding for more than 2 weeks. Let's shut down this center. Let's arrest the doctors and anybody that was involved in perpetrating this crime. Let's shut down Irwin right now, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, the Heroes Act is what America needs. It is what my State of New York needs. Nearly $7 billion for public transportation, that is a compromise. Aid to struggling small businesses, including restaurants, that is a compromise. Billions of dollars to help schools operate safely and to help parents afford childcare and get back to work, that is a compromise. Another round of stimulus checks for the American people, that is a compromise, Mr. Speaker. Billions of dollars for emergency rental assistance as people face evictions and people don't know where they are going to get the money to pay their rent, they are backed up, that is a compromise. And, finally, Mr. Speaker, help for States and local government--not red States and blue States, all States. Last time I checked, it was all the United States of America. Let's help all the States. They are not getting the revenue that they need. That is a compromise. I said the last time we passed the Heroes Act back in May that it was a good thing. I say today that this is a real good thing, and it is a compromise.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of a great lady, Normandia Maldonado, an icon in Dominican culture, and my bill, H.R. 3870, which renames the post office located at 511 West 165th Street in Washington Heights, New York, in her name. The bill passed unanimously on this floor. Maldonado is renowned for her decades of artistic leadership within the Dominican diaspora in New York City. She founded Club Civico y Cultural Juan Pablo Duarte and Centro Cultural Ballet Quisqueya, as well as helped establish the first Dominican parade in New York City. In the wake of the administration's unprecedented attacks on the Postal Service, I am honored to enshrine Ms. Maldonado's altruistic spirit, fortitude, commitment, and community service with this designation. She was the queen of merengue, the queen of dance and folklore.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Normandia Maldonado, an icon of Dominican culture, and my bill H.R. 3870, which designates the U.S. Post Office located at 511 W. 165th Street in Washington Heights as the ``Normandia Maldonado Post Office Facility.'' Normandia Maldonado is renowned for her decades of artistic leadership within the Dominican diaspora of New York City, where she co-founded Club Civico y Cultural Juan Pablo Duarte, Inc., directed and released various films, and helped establish the Dominican Day parade. But, perhaps even more so, she is revered as a pioneering activist who was instrumental in the establishment of the Dominican population within the mosaic of New York City. From the time she arrived in New York City in 1960, the Dominican diaspora leaned on her fiery yet elegant and inspirational character. And much like the United States Postal Service, Normandia ALWAYS answered the call to service, especially for the Dominican community and our fellow New Yorkers. She taught in neighborhood schools. She led efforts in the community to build a statue in honor of Juan Pablo Duarte, the Dominican Republic's foremost founding father. And she established the Cassandra Damiron Hall of Fame to ensure that fellow Dominican artists' accomplishments and talent receive the recognition they deserve. In the wake of the Administration's unprecedented attacks on the Postal Service, I am honored to enshrine and underscore Ms. Maldonado's altruistic spirit, fortitude, and commitment to public service via this designation at the facility on 165th Street. This will stand for decades in the community and hopefully come as a reminder--and perhaps a mandate--to the Postal Service employees working there, who I know will weather this Administration's storm of punitive policies and will continue to dutifully serve the people of Washington Heights and New York City. I want to thank my friend and fellow New Yorker, Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, for her help in bringing this to the floor, Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly, and the staff of the Committee on Oversight and Reform for helping us through this process.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, nearly six months have passed since the novel corona virus 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a public health emergency in the United States. At this moment in time, we have seen over 192,000 deaths nationwide due to COVID-19, with a disproportionate share of those impacted being Black and African American and Hispanic and Latino Americans. The disparity in the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths is stunning. The rate of COVID-19 cases in Black and African American or Hispanic and Latino Americans are 2.6 times and 2.8 times, respectively, greater than white Americans. Black and African American patients are dying at 2.4 times the rate of white Americans. Hispanic or Latino Americans are hospitalized at 4.6 times the rate of white Americans. We can quantify this disparity by the incidence and prevalence of this disease by race and ethnicity, but we have a responsibility to understand how these disparities are rooted and linked to social determinants of health already present in minority and underserved communities that compound the disproportionate impact of COVID-19. In New York's 13th Congressional District, we have seen the disproportionate impact of this disease in all parts of our community from Harlem to Washington Heights to Inwood and into the Bronx. In our community we have dedicated health care providers--extraordinary professionals of all backgrounds, experience, and expertise--who have gone to extraordinary lengths to care for COVID-19 patients. Among these health care heroes are groups like SOMOS Community Care and the Visiting Nurse Service of New York who have demonstrated incredible agility in caring for their patients who are most vulnerable and in need. They understand how patient care and interventions need can best be tailored to meet the challenge of COVID-19 or otherwise in the hospital, clinic, and home settings. This is a tremendous benefit for the patient and their family members, and I am grateful for the work they continue to provide especially in providing palliative and hospice care. These are fields of care that we may not often think about until the moment that we or a loved one need this care the most. But these are important tools that we must utilize in order to address social determinants of health as we move towards better outcomes and quality of life for patients. In these past six months, we have learned a great deal about this COVID-19 disease and best practices to care for vulnerable populations in underserved communities. The Visiting Nurse Service of New York PROJECT HOPE Physicians and Health Leaders' Summit is a great opportunity to share what we have seen and learned through this pandemic and apply the best practices towards immediate and future health care planning and delivery. As this group of health care professionals convenes, I join in their Day of HOPE and Equity for Communities of Color in New York and reject the premise that one's zip code defines their life span and health.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Lowey for more than three decades of valuable service to our Nation. I joined Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee on an amendment that directs NIAID, led by Dr. Anthony Fauci, to prioritize minority patient outreach and minority candidate inclusion in COVID-19 critical clinical trials or therapy development. I worked with Chairman Raul Grijalva on an amendment that supports English language acquisition grants used by school districts and teachers that teach English language learners, like myself, that sat in the back of a classroom for 2 years not knowing what was being said. I have worked for the past 2 years with my colleague Jose Serrano on the National Science Foundation's STEM undergraduate program for Hispanic-serving institutions. Finally, Madam Speaker, I am glad we included my critical amendment to prohibit the Office of Refugee Resettlement from contracting with for-profit contractors to house unaccompanied alien children. That is a private sector money grab that benefits from children that are split, ripped apart from their parents' arms.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, when we heard of the Muslim ban being implemented, many New Yorkers, including our chairman, Congressman Nadler, rushed to JFK Airport to help families. What I witnessed there in many cases was, in fact, Muslim members of our Armed Forces were trying to be reunited with their mother, with their spouse, and they were being denied. As I entered the space, I was surrounded by Customs and Border Patrol officers, and we fought to make sure that these folks could unite. And so we witnessed the pain of a spouse without a husband, a son without a mother, a father without a child. Madam Speaker, this is not American. This is not American at all. But what was witnessed there and across the country was the best of our Nation, the spirit of our Nation, the fact that we would not be split along racial, ethnic, or religious lines.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I represent the 13th Congressional District in New York. It has many wonderful neighborhoods in it, the iconic neighborhood of Harlem, which has given birth to many luminaries, including the great late Adam Powell and, of course, the Lion of Lenox Avenue, Charles B. Rangel. But when I came here, Madam Speaker, there sat John Lewis in his dignified serenity. He brought to this Chamber and he bore the wounds and the scars of a struggle over 400 years old, and they could not be ignored. Even in his dignified serenity, beyond his great words that were conciliatory and peaceful in scope, the scars and the wounds of the struggle that he bore in this august Chamber could not be ignored. So, Madam Speaker, I say to John Lewis today, that from Harlem, and from all the Harlems in all the States of this great Union, a very important message I bring to this floor. Rest in peace, great warrior.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman DeFazio, and I rise in strong support of the Moving Forward Act. It will make critical investment in all kinds of infrastructure. I am delighted that it includes the Transportation Alternatives Enhancements Act, a piece of legislation which will provide funding for biking and walking infrastructure--and that is an initiative that I presented--as well as investments in the Capital Investment Grants, which will provide funding for the extension of the great Second Avenue Subway from East Harlem right in to 125th Street in Harlem, a transportation desert. Also, I would like to see, in the future, how more funding goes to New York City. We put more in the coffers and deserve a lot more. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our chairman for also including housing as infrastructure. We are the landlords. The Federal Government is the landlord of public housing. That is part of our infrastructure, and we need funding for that as well as broadband internet services in rural and urban communities alike.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Waters for her steadfast support of tenants. With close to 130,000 deaths that are COVID-19 related, 40 million unemployed, these are difficult times. But now we are facing a housing tsunami as millions of families go to sleep every night afraid and anxious of where they are going to get their rent money. The rent is too damn high. That is why Congressman Chuy Garcia and I introduced the STAY HOME Act of 2020 that provides billions of dollars of financial support for renters. This is a good bill that will provide $100 billion for renters, people who really don't know where they are getting their money to pay their rent. They want to keep a roof over their head. They don't want to be homeless. This is a critical time in America, and this bill will produce the moneys that we need to ensure that people are not homeless.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. One month ago, George Floyd was murdered. As his 6-year-old astutely said in the days following, ``Daddy changed the world.'' In this bill, there are several policies that have been highlighted in the Harlem Manifesto Against Police Brutality. The Harlem Manifesto advocates for a ban on chokeholds and the knee. It demilitarizes police and ends qualified immunity. The Harlem Manifesto also includes a provision to ensure that police officers can be held accountable for excessive force. The standard should not be willful intent but reckless intent. We must pass this bill and eradicate the cultural violence in police departments across the country. The best anticrime policies are antipoverty policies. We must continue this fight. Black lives matter.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate Dr. Lee Goldman, MD, MPH, Dean of the Faculties of Health Science and Medicine and Chief Executive of Columbia University Irving Medical Center (``CUIMC'') on his tremendous work and leadership at Columbia University over the last 14 years. At the end of this month, Dr. Goldman will be stepping down from his leadership and academic position. Since joining CUIMC in 2006, the institution has seen remarkable growth and infusion of talent as an academic medical center and leader in clinical research while strengthening the relationship between CUIMC and NewYork Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Goldman has been integral to the establishment of new academic and research departments in the fields of Neuroscience, Systems Biology, Emergency Medicine, and Medical Humanities & Ethics. Growth in these fields have brought to CUIMC a more diverse faculty and staff of experts working in concert to further scientific advances. His example and leadership brought to fruition the Precision Medicine Initiative and establishment of the Institute for Genomic Medicine. And we cannot speak of the institutional change Dr. Goldman has led without speaking of the ground-breaking Roy and Diana Vagelos Education Center providing graduate and medical students a state-of-the-art facility to better educate new generations of clinicians, scientists, and researchers. Dr. Goldman has made an indelible imprint on CUIMC since his first day and I know the entire Columbia University family will join me in thanking him for his incredible contributions. On behalf of New York's 13th Congressional District, I thank Dr. Goldman for his tireless work and dedication to making our diverse community stronger, resilient, and an example that future leaders will strive to achieve.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of heroes. $15 billion for transit agencies, including $3.8 billion for the MTA, that is a good thing. $2 billion for deep cleaning for public housing, such as NYCHA, that is a good thing. Another round of stimulus checks, $1,200, plus another $1,200 for children, and the inclusion of taxpaying immigrants and their families, that is a good thing. $10 billion for additional grants for small business, that is a good thing. $7 billion for childcare, that is a good thing. $2 billion to help employers provide hazard pay to essential workers, like hospital workers, transit workers, supermarket workers, and critical property service workers like janitors, security officers, residential door persons, and others who are often overlooked but are so crucial to keeping key buildings and facilities like the hundreds in my district up and running, that is a good thing. $100 billion for emergency rental assistance, that is an extremely good thing. Help for New York State and New York City. I rise in support of our heroes. This is a good thing.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, in the Northwest Bronx, in Washington Heights, Inwood, in Harlem and East Harlem, this pandemic is still ravaging Black and Brown lives. The economic plight this virus will leave will be unprecedented. I am glad we are providing $60 billion for small businesses and fought for funding for hospitals and testing, but we must come back. Mitch McConnell's words are equivalent to Gerald Ford's words: Drop dead, New York. But we will come back. We must support State and local governments. We must support our communities. Our people are dying.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the CARES Act. Mr. Speaker, it would be criminal not to support billions of dollars for our hospitals and healthcare workers. It would be criminal not to support billions of dollars for our small businesses that will be struggling. It would be criminal not to support help for working families, $1,200 for individuals, $500 for a child. But it is also criminal to leave out immigrants. They clean our houses and take care of our children and the elderly. It is also criminal to shortchange New York, which has become the epicenter of this epidemic. The delay of ventilators and PPEs has also been criminal. Remember, all of you: New York is your future.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, today, the Census begins to reach out to households across America. All communities across the country must be counted, particularly those that are hard-to-count communities. The Census is for everybody. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, we now face difficult challenges for the Census. The Census must be extended an additional 3 months so we can get an accurate count. (English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:) Today we begin the census for families across the country. But due to the coronavirus pandemic we are going to face grand obstacles. The Census should be extended for 3 months to ensure a precise count. Hoy comenzamos el conteo del censo para familias a traves del pais pero por la creciente epidemia del coronavirus vamos a tener grandes obstaculos. El censo debe de ser extendido por tres meses para tener un conteo preciso.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, today is February 27, and we celebrate the 176th anniversary of independence of the Dominican Republic, which gained its independence in 1844 from the Republic of Haiti. Led by Juan Pablo Duarte, Sanchez, and Mella, this island nation moved forward under great adversity. Throughout its 176 years, it has endured military occupation, dictatorship, and other strong and determining challenges. But throughout these many decades, the nation has prevailed. Today, we enjoy the presence of over 2 million Dominicans in the United States, many of them in New York State, and many of them in the 13th Congressional District, particularly in Washington Heights. We see many streets in the neighborhood named after some of the patriarchs of the nation. We have Juan Pablo Duarte Boulevard, Manolo Tavarez Justo Way, Mateo Rojas Alou Street, Miguel Amaro Way, Freddy Beras-Goico Way. We also have schools named after very prominent members of that community. Salome Urena School, the Mirabal Sisters School, Juan Pablo Duarte School, the Juan Bosch School. We also have a huge parade, which now goes down Sixth Avenue, but originally started right there on Audubon Avenue in Northern Manhattan. We have social and cultural institutions like Club Deportivo Dominicano. We have many bodega owners, supermarket owners, hair salons, and other small businesses that I think are characteristic of their resolve, our people's resolve to work hard and make it a better city for all of us. We send remittances back home, becoming the first and most important column of the Dominican economy, and we continue to contribute in many, many ways to that island nation and the United States of America. Last Saturday, we witnessed an unprecedented event where young people convened in Washington Heights to protest the failed municipal elections back home. Last weekend, the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, which I am honored to represent in Congress, witnessed thousands of young people who came to protest against the most recent failure by the Dominican Republic's electoral board to properly execute the country's municipal elections on February 16. Tais Garcia Heredia, Emely Curiel, Andres Gonzalez del Rey, Candido Santana, Alberto Valentin, Albelis Reyes, and others, particularly a young man by the name of Felipe Batista, led these young people-- thousands. Close to 10,000 of them descended on Washington Heights. Their initiative to fight for their people's future will probably not go down in the history books; you may not be able to find them in a Wikipedia page in the future; you may not be able to even Google their names; but their names will be echoed in the Congressional Record, and their patriotism will forever be remembered. They are fighting to strengthen democracy. They are fighting to strengthen the best values of any democratic system and process. That is why I am here: to exult their names and to tell all that know them that we are very proud of them. (English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:) Today we are fighting for Dominican Independence, wherever there's a Dominican there's homeland. God, homeland and freedom. Hoy en dia estamos luchando por la Independencia Dominicana, donde esta el dominicano esta la Patria. Dios, Patria y Libertad.

Mr. ESPAILLAT

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, today we are convening our monthly special order hour of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to talk about a pressing issue to our Nation, to our planet, in fact, and especially to communities of color. Climate change is a real global problem. It is affecting folks around the world contributing to natural disasters and droughts that lead to immigration and increased conflict. We have seen how the Caribbean, which stands in the pathway of natural disasters, has been hit time and time again from Superstorm Maria to Hurricane Irma to the recent earthquakes in Puerto Rico. We have seen how this region of the world, the Caribbean, which is our third border, continually gets hammered by natural disasters. In fact, just 2 days ago, the National Security, Military and Intelligence Panel of the Center for Climate and Security, a nonpartisan security policy institute, released a damning report. Within the report it said that higher levels of warming will pose a catastrophic and likely irreversible global security risk over the course of the 21st century. Last September, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released yet another dire warning that the effects of climate change are already irreversible, and we only have just about a decade to act before it is too late. One thing that is important, though, about climate change is the disproportionate impact it has on communities of color. This is called environmental injustice, and that is why it is important that we address this from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus perspective, the perspective of those representing communities of color. Climate change affects our everyday lives in big ways and small ways. Take my grandson, for example. He suffers from asthma and acute allergies, and other health issues that a lot of our kids have that are worsened by air pollution. The issue is communities of color are not the biggest contributors to the pollution of climate change. In fact, they contribute less but are disproportionately hurt by climate change. We take public transportation. We don't fill our streets with very expensive polluting cars, but we bear the greatest burden from this and many other pollutants. This is also called environmental injustice. That is why I have introduced a resolution on environmental justice to ensure that the government acknowledges and addresses the disproportional harm that climate change has on our community and communities of color. Let me just take a moment to talk about some of my other work on this issue, because I believe it is a good summary of aspects that need to be addressed. I was proud to support H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, which passed the House last year and will keep the U.S. in the historic Paris climate accord. I was able to include an amendment to that bill stating that climate justice and environmental justice must be included in our efforts to meet the Paris Agreement and mitigate and adapt to climate change. When we apply funding and when we allocate funding to address climate change, those communities in crisis must be given the funding first. This must be a core tenet of our policies to address climate change. Every law we pass and every action we take to mitigate and adapt to climate change must include acknowledgment and protections for marginalized and frontline communities who bear the burden of climate change. One of my predecessors in the U.S. Congress, the late, great Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., one of the great civil rights leaders of our times, led year after year his Powell amendments to ensure Federal funding did not support segregation. Every time he introduced the amendments, they would be voted down. They would be systematically shut down. But yet he continued to present them year after year after year. Finally, during the 1960s in the middle of that decade when the civil rights legislation was drafted and passed, that legislation which still benefits many of us across America, it was the Powell amendment that was included in civil rights legislation. Environmental justice is my Powell amendment, and I believe we must work to ensure that in every bill this House considers environmental justice is upheld and advanced. I have also introduced the Green Climate Fund Authorization Act which commits the United States to provide climate finances to keep the planet under 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming. The Green Climate Fund is an independent, multilateral fund established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to help developing countries limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. We often read about the migration dynamic playing out on our southern border, and we think very often that those families are fleeing violence. That may be the case for some families, but many of them are also fleeing food security issues manifesting themselves in the triangle countries because of a horrible drought caused by climate change. Developing countries have limited capacity to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and through the Green Climate Fund, the U.S. can contribute our fair share to enable mitigation and adaptation activities that uphold environmental justice across the globe. Because it is these exact nations that are also on the front line of climate change, though they have contributed the least to these causes. Yet, one of the most important new approaches to combating climate change that has received a lot of traction and attention in the past year is the Green New Deal. I was proud to be an early supporter of this bold proposal, and many of my colleagues have since signed on to it and support it as well. The Green New Deal pushes us to reach net-zero emissions and a 100 percent renewable economy to stop polluting our planet and ensure a safe climate for generations, for all of us, to come. It epitomizes environmental justice for frontline communities, especially underresourced groups, communities of color, Native Americans, people with disabilities, children, and seniors. The Green New Deal calls for a just transition for communities and workers to ensure that there are jobs and training for a clean economy. The Green New Deal will save American families money with investments in weatherization, public transportation, and modern infrastructure. We often talk about the infrastructure bill. Whether it is $1 trillion or $2 trillion, it must be built green. It recognizes that combating climate change is an important intersection for promoting clean air and water and providing nutritious food, affordable and safe housing, and high-quality healthcare and jobs. The Green New Deal recognizes that we need to build resiliency in the face of worsening and more frequent climate-related disasters and that marginalized communities often bear the brunt of these disasters. Arguably, the most important aspect about the Green New Deal is that it forces us to think about combating climate change, not just in a singular policy aimed at emissions, but with all the policies we consider here in Congress, whether it is energy, education, the economy, jobs, or infrastructure. We need serious investments to mitigate and adapt to climate change, but it will cost us more in the long term if we do not act now, financially and existentially. Climate change, ultimately, is an existential threat to all of us across America and across the planet. By the time a child born today retires, in 2085, the U.S. will be spending $300 billion each year on climate resiliency. The time to invest is now. In fact, the time to invest was two decades ago. But here we are. We need serious investment in our infrastructure and our transportation systems. We need to invest in green roof technology and innovative urban agriculture to address not just the carbon emissions of the agricultural field, but also to address intersectional issues of food security and climate change. Earlier this year, our Democratic majority, led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio, released a framework for infrastructure investment that takes many components of the Green New Deal into account. It makes bold investments in public transportation systems to harness zero-emission technology and reduce congestion. It ensures that newly proposed transit projects are judged on their capacity to reduce emissions and congestion. The framework includes provisions like those in the Transportation Alternatives Enhancement Act, which will prioritize projects that promote biking, walking, and other alternative, cleaner forms of transportation and infrastructure. The plan will boost investment in resiliency and green infrastructure to a degree that we have not yet seen before. It will make improvements in regional water resources to protect local ecosystems across the Nation. In short, Democrats are proud to put forward proposals that will not only protect our planet but will invest in America's communities, invest in American workers, and invest in America's youth and future generations so we are prepared to tackle this momentous task in the decades to come. And the Green New Deal is one of the ways we are doing just that. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Barragan), my colleague, the second vice chairperson of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Ocasio-Cortez), my colleague.

Mr. ESPAILLAT. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from the great State of New York, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez, and the 98 Members who are cosponsors of the Green New Deal. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).